“Pax” by Sara Pennypacker, tells the story of a boy named Peter and his best friend, a fox named Pax. When Peter’s father volunteers to go to war, Peter must give up the fox he has raised since it was a kit . Peter wars with himself as he feels guilty for abandoning his friend. However, at the same time, he is afraid to stand up to his father’s anger. When he decides to find Pax, Peter goes on a journey to rescue his friend. His mission leads him to recognize and accept his own feelings of anger.

Pax and Peter’s story begins when Peter and his father drop Pax off in the woods near an abandoned rope mine. Peter had chosen that spot because he believed his friend would be safe there. Pax soon meets the other foxes who live in the area. Bristle, a female fox, hates humans and blames them for the destruction of her family. Her younger brother Runt tries to befriend Pax even though his sister warns him away from the strange fox. Gray, the elder fox in the area, takes Pax under his wing because he had spent time with humans just like Pax.

Peter is unhappy with his grandfather because the man has the same anger in him that Peter sees in his father. Peter does his best to deny his own anger. It was because he had gotten angry and broken his mother’s gazing globe that he had not been allowed to go grocery shopping with her on the day she had her fatal car accident. Since that time he had sworn to himself that he would not allow himself to get angry. Peter feels he has slighted his responsibility to Pax, so he decides to go back to the spot where he left Pax and take him home.

Peter quickly has trouble on his trip when he falls and breaks his foot. He is taken in by a war veteran who believes she is too dangerous to be around people because she killed a man during the war. Vola sets Peter’s fracture and teaches him how to walk properly on his crutches. The two form a friendship, and Peter recognizes that Vola is not the threat to society she believes she is. He encourages her to stop punishing herself and to share her talents with the community. In turn, Vola encourages Peter in his search for Pax and tells him that anger is not completely bad.

Meanwhile Pax makes friends with and gains the trust of the other foxes. Together he and Bristle have nursed Runt back to health after he lost a hind leg when a land mine exploded. When Peter is able to return to the area where he left Pax he finds that his friend has made other friends in the wild. He knows that is where his friend belongs. Pax recognizes the changes in Peter since the two were separated. He notices his boy has gained the self confidence and emotional strength he needed to stand up to his father. Themes in this coming of age story include taming one’s anger and the effects of war.